Deere - Stephen
STEPHEN DEERE
Source: Waveland Independent, June 22, 1934
The community was shocked on Friday morning to hear that Stephen DEER (sic) of Browns Valley had ended his life by shooting himself with a shotgun. The first discharge seems to have missed but the second took effect on that death must have been instantaneous. Mr. Deer was by himself at the time as his wife had stepped out into the garden. He had underwent a severe operation for gall stones earlier in the year from which he did not make a good recovery and was in constant pain. He had been very much depressed. Funeral services on Sunday afternoon at the Browns Valley Baptist church were largely attended. They were in charge of Rev. HH Elmore, assited by Rev. Cecil Franklin. The pall bearers were John Bayless; Forest Mikels; Clyde Patton; Clarence Burford; Ernest Smith and Homer Jeffries. Waveland Lodge F & AM of which he was a member was represetned by honoraary pall bearers. The flowers were carried by Mrs. Majorie Shanks; Mrs. Rose Glascock; Mrs. Oscar Stewart; Mrs. Fern Jeffries; Mrs. Fern Wagoner; Mrs. Mary Mikels; Mrs. Frances Lydick; Mrs. Mildred Ferrell; Mrs. Catherine Hubenett, and Misses Jane Wilson; Beatrice Carrington; Enolia Clouser; Mildred Hunt and Evelyn Hunt. A male quartet sang Sometimes, Somewhere and The Old Ruggest Cross and Mrs. Fred Rice sang A Day Without a Cloud. He was the son of Joel G. and Mary E. Deere (sic) and was born Feb 13, 1874 at the old Deere homestead just south of Bluff Milles. He married Fannie Welch in 1900. He has been in business at Alamo, Bluff Mills and Browns Valley. He is survived by the wife, Fannie Deer (sic) ; a son, Frank Deer of Greencastle; a daughter, Mrs. Nelson Bayless of Browns Valley; a grandson, Stephen Deer of Greencastle, a sister, Mrs. Elva Whittington of Crawfordsville; and two brothers, George W. Deer of Crawfordsville and Rev. John H. Deere of San Bernardino, California. - kbz